NOVEL CANDIDA ALBICANS VIRULENCE GENES

Candida albicans is a common resident of human mucosal surfaces. However, it is also the most prevalent fungal pathogen, causing common superficial infections, as well as more serious systemic and organ infections in immunocompromised patients, many of which are life-threatening. Researchers at UCSF have identified two novel genes called RBT1 and RBT4 in Candida albicans. Rbt1p is likely displayed on the surface of C. albicans cells, while Rbt4p is presumably secreted from cells. These features make them useful targets for sensitive diagnostic tests and simple therapeutic approaches. In addition, while deletion mutants of rbt1 and rbt4 show no growth defects in laboratory media, in a rabbit cornea model of C. albicans infection they exhibit strongly reduced virulence, suggesting that inhibitors of Rbt1p and Rbt4p activity could be good antifungal drugs.

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Joel B. Kirschbaum, Ph.D.
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Joel Kirschbaum, Ph.D.

Reference: OTM Case #SF97-160 and SF97-151